Quick priming and ignition attach



Dec. 3;, 1935; A. GIARNESE 2,023,169

QUICK PRIMING AND IGNITION ATTACHMENT FOR OIL BURNERS Filed Nov. 7, 1933 INYENTOR August G1 arnese ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1935 IT ED STATES QUICK PRIMING AND IGNITION ATTACH- MENT FOR OIL BURNERS August Giarnese, Torrington, Conn.

Application November 7, 1933, Serial No. 695,933

8 Claims.

This invention relates to oil burners, and more particularly .to a quick starting or priming device for attachment to the feed line of an oil range burner.

One object of this invention is to provide a manually operated pressure bulb device for quickly causing oil to flow from the feed line into the Wick of the oil burner.

A further object is to provide means for electrically igniting the oil in the burner wicks by an interrupted spark circuit which is set into operation at the same time the wick is primed.

A furtherobject is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appear- .ance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these .and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, mostly in section, of a complete burner .unit and fuel supply system, the electrical circuit being shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the combined pressure bulb and electrical switch unit in inoperative position.

vFig. .3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the bulb and switch in operative positions.

In the ignition of the wicks of conventional forms of oil burners, it is generally necessary to wait a considerable period of time after opening the oil feed valve before the actual ignition can be accomplished owing to the slow speed at which the oil flows into the wick. By means of the present invention, the priming of the wick is expedited, and means are provided for the electric ignition thereof without requiring the use of matches. The burner will also be prevented from overflowing, and thereby smoking and carbonization is prevented.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I I] indicates an oil supply tank supported in an inverted position above a reservoir bowl I I by means of a bracket I2. The tank ID has a restricted neck provided with the usual form of valve cap I3 which permits the fuel oil to escape from the tank into the bowl II and maintain a constant predetermined level of fuel therein.

The fuel oil flows from the reservoir II to a burner unit I4 (or a plurality of such units if desired) by means of a feed line pipe I5. The burner unit I4 comprises the usual central annular burner chamber surrounding which are a plurality of wick channels I! and Ila, contain ing wicks I8 and IBa, respectively. Extending upwardly from the channels I 1, Ha embracing said wicks I8 and I60. are two pairs of concentric perforated air supply cylinders I9 which are supported by four upright annular ribs 20 formed integral with the burner bowl. When in use, the flow of fuel from the reservoir .Il may :be regulated by means of a manual control valve 2| located at an intermediate position in the feed pipe I5.

In order to permit the wicks to be rapidly primed and then immediately ignited, provision is made of a rubber pressure bulb 22 located at the upper end of a vertical pipe 23 attached to the feed pipe I5 by means of a T fitting 24, the latter being located preferably at an intermediate position on the feed pipe I5 between the valve .2I and the reservoir II. The manual squeezing of the bulb 22 will force the oil in the pipe I5 at the right of the T fitting 24 to flow up into the burner bowl It in sufficient quantity to in stantly prime the wicks and start the operation of the burner. A check valve 25 will preferably be located in the fuel pipe I5 at the left of the T fitting 24 to prevent back fiow of oil from the right-hand portion of the pipe I5.

It will be understood, however, that it is within the scope of the present invention to combine the check valve 25 and the T fitting .24 into a single unit if desired. The bulb 22 is made obovate in shape, having a thin flexible side wall of resilient rubber 26 which, when manually contracted, will automatically expand to its original shape. A vent valve 2'! of the usual construction is located in the apex of the bulb 22, said valve 21 serving to prevent air from escaping through the top of the bulb when it 'is compressed, but allowing free flow of air into the bulb when the bulb is released. The lower narrow neck end of the bulb 22 is constructed from substantially heavy rubber forming an apertured collar 28 integral with the lower wall 26 thereof. In use, the collar 23 of the bulb will be slipped over the upper end of the pipe 23 with a tight fit thereupon.

In order to cause the oil in the wick to immediately ignite as soon as the priming operation has occurred, provision is made of a pair of spark plugs 29 and 30 attached to the burner bowl I6 and forming a pair of spark gaps with the ribs '20 across the wick channels II, I la (see Fig. l). The plugs 2c and 3 are connected with a suitable spark coil 3| by means of a pair of conductors 33 and 33a, the conductor 33a being grounded to the burner bowl IS, as by a screw 37. The sparking circuit is controlled by a special switch mechanism 34 inclosed within the priming bulb 22, and connected with the spark coil 3I and a battery 32 or other suitable source of electricity vby means of a pair of conductors 35 and 36.

The switch mechanism 34 :comprisesa pair of thin fiat metal movable contacts 38 and 39 constructed of resilient material in the form of opposed semi-loops 4E! and M The exterior portion of the loops conforms substantially to the contour of the wall of thebulb 2e, while the inner ends of said loops are turned downwardly and are offset inwardly. to form a pair of parallel contact terminals 42 and 63, which are adapted to electrically engage each other when the bulb is compressed to complete the sparking circuit (see Fig. 3). The contacts 38 and 39 are directed downwardly out of the bulb 22 through suitable slits 44 and 45 provided in the collar 28, and are bent back upon themselves around portions of said collar 28 to provide a firm anchorage thereon. The exterior anchored portions of said contacts 38 and 39 may be provided with terminal eyes 46 and 41, to which the conductors 35 and 36 may be detachably or permanently connected.

One advantage of the use of the flexible loop form of switch contacts inthe bulb 22 is that the resiliency of the loops 6E! and ll will assist in expanding the bulb to its original shape (Fig.

Operation In the operation of lighting the burner is, it will first be necessary to open the manual control valve 2|, and then by merely squeezing the bulb 22, the burner bowl will be primed with sufficient oil to rapidly saturate the wicks i8 and Mia. The oil vapor arising from said wicks will then be immediately ignited by the sparks passing across the wick channels I! and I la.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms Without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

'1. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a burner, means for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, a check valve in said fuel conducting means, means having a connection with said pipe between said check valve and said burner for manually forcing air quickly into said fuel conducting means to force fuel rapidly into said burner to prime said burner more rapifdly; than would occur by the natural fiow of said 2. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a wick-type fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, a check valve in said pipe to prevent back flow of fuel, and manually operated means having a connection with said pipe between said check valve and said burner for forcing a portion of the liquid fuel from said connection and said burner into said burner to quickly saturate the wick thereof.

3. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a wick-type fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from saidreservoirto said burner, a check valve in. said pipe to prevent back flow of fuel, and a manually operated flexible air bulb having a connection with said pipe between said check valve and said burner for forcing the liquid fuel between said check valve and said burner into said burner to quickly saturate the wick thereof.

4. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a wick-type fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, a check valve in said pipe to prevent back flow of fuel, a vertical pipe having a connection with said fuel conducting pipe between said check valve and said burner, and an air injecting device attached to the upper end of said vertical pipe for forcing the liquid fuel from said conducting pipe into said burner to quickly prime the wick.

5. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, said burner including electrical starting means connected with a source of electricity, means having a connection with said conducting pipe for simultaneously closing the circuit through said electrical starting means and introducing a portion of the liquid from said conducting pipe into said burner for priming the same, and a check valve between said reservoir and said connection to prevent reverse flow of said liquid fuel in said pipe.

6. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, electrical means for igniting the fuel vapor in said burner, a manuallyoperated rubber pressure bulb having a connection with said pipe for forcing liquid from said pipe up into said burner for priming it, a check valve between said reservoir and said connection said rubber bulb having an interior switch mechanism adapted to be closed by the contraction of said bulb for making the circuit through said electrical ignition means, the contacts of said switch mechanism being adapted to be opened automatically by the expansion of said bulb when the pressure thereon has been released.

' 7. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, electrical means for igniting the fuel vapor in said burner, a manually-operated rubber pressure bulb having a connection with said pipe for forcing liquid from said pipe up into said burner for priming it, a check valve in said pipe between said reservoir and said connection, said rubber bulb having an interior switch mechanism adapted to be closed by the contraction of said bulb for making the circuit through said electrical ignition means, the contacts of said switch mechanism being adapted to be opened automatically by the expansion of said bulb when the pressure thereon has been released, said contacts being resilient and U-shaped.

8. In a heating apparatus, a liquid fuel reservoir, a fuel burner, a pipe for conducting fuel from said reservoir to said burner, electrical means for igniting the fuel vapor in said burner, a manually-operated rubber pressure bulb having a connection with said pipe for forcing liquid from said pipe up into said bumer for priming it, a check valve in said pipe between said reservoir and said connection, said rubber bulb having an interior switch mechanism adapted to be closed by the contraction of said bulb for making the circuit through said electrical ignition means, the

contacts of said switch mechanism being adapted to be opened automatically by the expansion of said bulb when the pressure thereon has been released, said contacts being resilient and U-shaped and having their extremities inwardly offset into parallel relation.

- AUGUST GIARNESE. 

